More Than 20 U.S. Governors Refuse To Accept Syrian Refugees For Relocation Amid Fears About Terrorism After Paris Attacks
At least 27 states have expressed their opposition to accept Syrian refugees for relocation in the nation after multiple attacks took place in Paris on Friday which killed a total of 129 people.
More than half of the nation's governors announced on Monday they are against new resettlement of Syrian refugees in the United States amid fears about terrorism. CNN reported Tuesday that 26 of the 27 states have Republican governors.
Reports have revealed that the announcement came after police authorities disclosed that at least one of the suspects in the Paris attacks reportedly crossed Europe as one of the Syrian refugees. The alleged suspect was allowed to enter Greece in October after he claimed to be a Syrian named Ahmad Al Muhammad.
According to reports, governors in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin reportedly said accepting refugees might open the nation to people with terrorist relations, as reported by USA Today Monday.
"There may be those who will try to take advantage of the generosity of our country and the ability to move freely within our borders through this federal resettlement program, and we must ensure we are doing all we can to safeguard the security of Americans," says Republican Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin.
On the other hand, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal announced on his social media account that he has signed an executive order mandating state bureaus to "take all available steps" to stop the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Louisiana.
Meanwhile, a law professor from Washington University in St. Louis said governors cannot make a decision to stop Syrian refugees from entering the US.
"The one thing I feel very comfortable saying is there is absolutely no constitutional power for a state to exclude anyone from its territories," says Stephen Legomsky.